Merry Christmas!

God loved you and I so much that while we were still sinners and still disobeying Him, He sent His only Son to earth so that if we would believe that the little baby in the manger, the young boy in the temple, the man feeding thousands, the teacher on the hillside, the Savior on the cross, the risen LORD, if we would believe in Him, we would not be dead, lost, hopeless, or separated, but we would have life forever, joy, hope, and love!
This is the message of Christmas!  This is the message the world needs to hear!

There is a Christmas song that plays on the radio a lot, "Feed the World," In this song there is a line, "Do they know it's Christmas time at all."  This line is just a reminder that there are people all around the world that do not know the true meaning of Christmas!  We need to "Feed the World" with the bread of life!  Wherever you are this year, near or far, be the missionary and go "Feed the World."  Everyone should know it's Christmas time!





MERRY CHRISTMAS!
From Jason & Lindsey

Life Changing Update

    

       The Carib people have a phrase, “A pot toe Papa, ee sha no wa toe o nay pung.” Translated it means, “God is like breeze. He is Spirit.” We are told it is hard for them to understand the concept of God because they do not understand spirit. John 3:8 says, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” I think if we are honest with ourselves we would all say we often struggle to understand God. His ways are so much higher than ours and His thoughts are vastly beyond our understanding. Take this journey Lindsey and I are on here in Guyana. In the past three months God has used us to lead a very sick and dear woman to salvation just weeks before she would go to meet her Maker. We have been training a village pastor how to go visiting and how to hold services. Even this past week we were privileged to walk a young lady through the waters of Baptism. To think that God has chosen us to go about His plan is mind blowing. That the Creator of the universe would call us to take the Gospel to the Carib people is amazing! And then at the same time, after just three months, to have God call us back to the States has been equally curious, yet Spirit led.

       While Lindsey and I have been living in a small area called Canal Bank, we have been working about an hour away in a village called Falls Top. Making the trip to Falls Top has been quite an adventure. We have been hitchhiking a ride on the back of a truck. We then travel at speeds of up to 60kph on muddy roads, while sitting on barrels of gasoline holding on for dear life. I find this rather exhilarating, yet at the same time my prayer life has been strengthened! Another challenge we have faced while here is learning to speak the Carib language. We have a wonderful teacher named Alan, who has really done great teaching us. However, because he has to travel an hour by river to get to our meeting point, he is only able to meet us on Saturday and Sunday. So when we are supposed to be working 30 hours a week on language we are struggling to get 15 hours. Over the past month, Lindsey and I have sat down with missionaries here in Guyana and with our supervisors from Wycliffe. We have been talking about what would have to happen for our OneStory project to be completed in the 3 year time frame. We arrived at the answer, the missionaries would have to live in the village of Falls Top. In this way they would not have to travel as much and they could find other language teachers to supplement their learning.

         While living in a swamp in the rain forest has proven to be difficult, the isolation of Falls Top would be even more challenging. The Bible teaches in 1 Cor. 12, that the body of Christ has many parts and those parts have been gifted differently and specifically. Through many prayers, tears, and trials, Lindsey and I have come to the place where we know living in Falls Top is beyond what God has gifted us for. Now we believe that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength, but at the same time the Spirit's gifting is specific to His calling. God has called us to “go,” but whether we understand it or not He has not led us go to Falls Top to live but to come back to the States.

       So do we understand everything God is doing? Not at all. Have we failed God, Wycliffe or even you our family? Not at all. Is God turning His back on the Carib people? Not at all. Is God finished with Lindsey and me? Not at all. We may not understand everything but God sees the whole picture! We are working with Wycliffe to revamp the Carib OneStory project so the next team in will be ready to go. We are also working with Wycliffe to see what God's next step is for Lindsey and me.

       Honestly, this is an uncertain time for us, and even somewhat disappointing because this is not how “we planned” our next three years—but then again, “A pot toe Papa, ee sha no wa toe o nay pung.” God is like the breeze! We may not understand Him, but He calls us to obey and He promises He is always with us!

       We ask for your continued prayer and support while God is revealing His plan. We will be working with Wycliffe to update you about a timeline of events, and what the next step for us and you as supporters should be. We expect to be back in the States on November 11^th. Thank you so much for your love and encouragement!

In His Grace,

Jason & Lindsey Lawson

Show Yourself Approved

I woke up this morning and something was different. Things were quiet this morning, too quiet. Was it that the rooster had mysteriously died during the night? No, I was not that lucky. Was it that boats were not running up and down the river today because of some holiday that I did not know about? No, boats were still running but something was different, something was missing. Finally it hit me, there were no children laughing or giggling. Every morning since we had been here started with the same sounds, children playing in the river, getting their morning baths and just having the time of their lives. So why was this morning different? Where were all the kids?
Today is the first day of school! All of the children of Port Kaituma were packing up their meager school supplies and with uniform on they headed off to school. This was the first time in my life that I had ever seen a school bus boat. I guess all of the children had gotten up early to get their bath and now they were heading off for a day of learning and hanging out with friends. I don't like this! It's too quiet!
My senior year of school I took Honors English. I had never taken Honors English because reading was not my best subject and there was a summer reading list for that class. That meant homework before school even started! Who wants to do homework during summer break? That could really hinder my time doing very important things like hanging out at the pool or with friends. But somehow I was talked into taking Honors English my senior year and I was to read three books over the summer. Much to my dismay none of them had a movie out and it would take me all summer long just to read the cliff notes of these books. So I did what any self respecting and diligent student would have done. I read one of them and glanced at another and prayed over the third book. I prayed a lot because I knew that I could not even tell you the story line of these books and we were going to be tested on these books the first week of school. Needless to say I walked into my Seniors Honors English class that first day with much fear and trembling. I sat at my desk praying that we would have a freak snow storm in August or that someone would pull the fire alarm but that never happened and some of the first words out of my teachers mouth was, "Ok, who did their summer reading?" After the tests were graded, it was obvious that I had not read my books. I was ashamed, along with most of my class. Being called into an honors class is just that, an honor. My teacher knew I was capable of doing the work but at that moment I was not worthy of that honor.
Spiritually we have been called to a very similar honor. God has called us into His service and He has given us a reading list of 66 books. Lucky for us they compiled it all into one volume so it is easier to carry. We know it as the Bible. So God has called us to be His ambassadors, His representatives. This means that we are to go wherever He tells us to go, confront any obstacle that is in front of us. When someone stops us, we are to use His name as the pass. The tools of this job are found within this 66 book reading list. The question is do you know which tool to use and when to use it? God is the teacher but are we willing to learn?
Paul speaks to Timothy about this great honor, in his book II Timothy 2:15. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." Paul was telling Timothy that you should never stop learning the Scriptures because it is the word of truth. If we were to handle the Scriptures inaccurately then it would be the word of false not of truth. How terrible it would be to be an ambassador of God who represents Him in a wrongful manner. To then stand before God Almighty ashamed of our actions and ignorance. How humiliating it would be to have taken the honor God has bestowed on us and to hand it back to Him tattered and broken because we were lazy and selfish. God has called us for a purpose and He has been teaching and training us to do that purpose but if we have neglected to study and learn then when He calls us to act on that purpose, we stand there ashamed. No that won't do! When God calls me, I want to be ready! I want to show Him that I can accurately handle the word of truth. There is no greater honor than to understand that God wants to use me! Don't waste that honor. God has given us the answers but we must be diligent, learning to accurately handle the word of truth.

What If You Saw Jesus Smoking?

About a ten minute boat ride up the river you come upon a little place we like to call, Port Kaituma. Actually everyone calls it that because that is what it is called. Just try to imagine a town where roughly several thousand people live. It is in the middle of the Jungle but do not let that fool you, it is a happening place! It is actually where several worlds collide. You have the Canal that literally ends at the water front. (Port) The Canal leads to the sea therefore you have the fishing industry which makes it's way to PK. You also have several large sea worthy vessels that make port here with supplies for every store and home in PK. Then PK also has the only air strip around. I use the term airstrip loosely seeing as just the other day it was closed down because of cows on the pothole filled runway. This airstrip makes PK a huge link to the capital city, Georgetown. Finally you have a thriving lumber industry which also starts somewhere in the rain forest but comes to an end in good ol PK. So all of these worlds collide in the same place.
To envision this, just imagine red mud streets during the rainy season and red dust streets in the dry. Houses and stores made of anything from scrap boards to concrete. Everywhere you turn you are looking at trash which has been thrown on the ground. In the jungle there is no sanitation services so what is not burned is thrown on the ground and eventually everything makes it to the river. Then from the river it floats down to our house but that's a different devotional. As you walk down the road you see people, male and female, adults and children in various states of dressed and undressedness, going here and there about their business and listening to rather loud music. Babies are busy drinking their breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, snack, high tea, brunch, etc. The smell in the air is that of fish mixed with trash and sewage, did I say that, in the jungle there is no sanitation services. But no one really seems to mind, everyone is just doing what they do.
The other day as I was sitting at the port a man walked by who in my minds eye looked just like Jesus. His hair was shaggy and not combed but not nappy either. He was very strong looking but that could be because he was carrying a huge load of cargo from one of the ships. Like many of the other men at the port he did not have a shirt on but he was fashionably wearing this years model of rubber boots. What little I saw of him, he seemed quiet and composed which is not true for most of the men working on the ships. Plus he was always around the boats much like Jesus. But the real thing that got me was that he seemed gentle and his eyes seemed caring! Ok, maybe that is stretching it a bit but needless to say he resembled the mental image I have of what Jesus would have looked like.
From that time on, I would look forward to seeing "Jesus" when I went to PK. As always he would be running around, carrying something or just laughing with other people. Then one day it happened! There Jesus was in the front of a shop and he leaned over to someone and lit his cigarette off the end of the other mans cigarette. He then walked off smoking while my heart was broken. Jesus did not smoke cigarettes! They are gross and cause cancer and and and!!!!
This event put me in a place of heart searching. I know that man was not Jesus but at the same time he looked like Jesus and from what I had seen acted like Jesus. Up until now that is. I felt like Jesus was trying to teach me something, the real Jesus not the man in PK.
John 1:10-11 says, "He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him."
When Jesus walked the earth, those who were the religious leaders, the ones who had been waiting and searching for the Messiah saw Jesus and they were the very ones who were put off by him because He did not fit their mental image. They had a preconceived notion of who and what the Son of God was going to be. They could not see past the fact that this Jesus healed on the Sabbath, He picked grain on the Sabbath, and He did not become the political ruler. There He was, the Son of the Living God! The Messiah! The Prince of Peace! Right there in front of them yet they did not know Him. How sad to be so close yet to be so far away because of their own preconceived ideas of who He was going to be. They were so sure that their mental image of the Son of God was the truth that they killed the Truth in the process. A savior so close they could have touched Him yet they did not receive Him.
This all makes me wonder. What would I do if I saw Jesus smoking? would I still worship Him or would I disown Him? Would I say that couldn't possibly be Jesus because I just know He would not smoke! Yet how often has God come to me to be His ambassador among the lost and I say, no way! God could not possibly call me to go there or to do that! That's not God, at least not the God that I serve! That couldn't possibly be Jesus, with a cigarette hanging out of His mouth! I know who Jesus is because I can envision Him in my mind and that is not Him!
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 They may have seen the only begotten of God but many did not recognize Him. What would you do if you saw Jesus? Fall down and worship Him? Stand and praise Him? What if He pulled out a cigarette and started smoking it?

Ants at Falls Top

Lindsey and I were taking a walk in the village of Falls Top, where we are attempting to learn the Carib language. It was a hot day and with our head full of incoherent words in a language we did not understand, we decided to walk through the jungle, down to the river to cool off. Walking in the jungle is not always the most comforting thing. When the weeds grow up to the point you cannot see your feet that is a little alarming to think what could be crawling or slithering down below.
We made it down to the banks of the river and began the process of emptying our minds. This was not a hard task seeing that this was the first day of Carib language learning therefore our mind was full of gibberish. We just let it all drain out of our mind and then stood there motionless and mentally exhausted.
Once we finally regained a functional state of mind, we began to look around at the general splendor of the jungle. The sights and sounds are quite breathtaking. Looking around our eyes came upon a perfectly single file line of ants. These ants were busy going from one side of the trail to the other in such a uniform manner that they had worn a rut in the dirt trail. No one was out of line, no one pushed or shoved, everyone just did as they were supposed to and kept on walking. As I watched the little boy in me wanted to come out and I wanted to either drop a stick or spit on the trail to see what they would do. But not wanting to upset the eco balance of the rain forest with my boyish longings I politely stepped over the ants and continued on to the banks of the river.
Sitting there with my feet in the river and little fish nibbling at my toes I noticed one single ant had gotten separated from his pack, tribe, or family and was now down at the waters edge. I was curious to see what was about to transpire. Sure as the world, this little ant walked right up to the water and began touching the water with his (or her) front legs. Just as soon as the legs touched the water the ant was swept off the bank and into the water. The ant quickly began to struggle, good for him ants float, bad for him, ants can't swim. Therefore he was above water but he was going further out into the river. I watched him with a sadistic desire to see if a fish would swim up and eat him but then the animal lover in me came out and I pulled out my bandana. I lowered the corner of it down into the water until the ant had successfully grabbed hold of it and I raised him up and placed him back on the safety of the bank. It was almost as if I could hear this little voice saying "Thank you so much you gigonormous creature!" But then before you could say "You're welcome," the ant turned around and stuck his two front feet into the water again and whoosh he was back on his whirlwind adventure to the great unknown of the river. This time I simply watched hoping a fish would eat him so I could tell people a cool story, but no such luck.
Later as I thought about my unfortunate little friend, God began to unravel a Spiritual truth for me. The Bible tells us that God has a plan for our life (Jer. 29:11) and that He even created and crafted us for that purpose. (Eph. 2:10) It is as if God told us to go from point A to point B and like those ants crossing the trail, they were doing what they were created to do. But just like the little wayward one, we all have gone astray. Isaiah 53:6 says, "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way;..." Everyone of us has fallen short of God's plan for our lives, (Rom. 3:23) and the penalty for that waywardness and sin is death. (Rom. 6:23a) If that foolish little ant was stupid enough to leave the line of ants doing what they were supposed to do then he deserved to drown or to be eaten by a fish. No one forced that on him, he chose to walk that path and the consequences of that path is death. Just like us! We were foolish enough to walk away from the plan God had for us and the penalty of that disobedience is death! Satan did not make us do it, our DNA did not make us do it, God certainly did not make us do it, we and we alone are guilty and deserving of the punishment.
BUT! God so loved the world!!! (John 3:16) BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD!!! (Rom. 6:23b) BUT God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) God looked down on a world that was full of sin and filthiness and He felt compassion! He stretched out His hand and pulled us out of certain death and placed us on the sure foundation of eternal Life! Praise God for His love!
Sadly, how often are we like this little ant, who, just as soon as he had received a second chance at life, ran right back into our wicked life? It is as if we receive this beautiful gift of Life from God, a gift which cost Him dearly! We receive this gift and then spit right in the face of God! We continue right on with the evil and wickedness that entangled us to begin with. That is truly heart breaking!
But unlike me who watched my little friend sail off into the sunset, God lovingly reaches down again and again and pulls us out of the sin that entraps us. Not that we need to be saved again, for Jesus only needed to die one time to cover all our sins, but God pulls us out of the mess we have made and sits us on solid ground and says, go and sin no more! To those who reject His bandana of love, death is their future. How sad to know that so many will push God's hand out of the way so as to get to Hell faster! I wish they had the sense of an ant to know that salvation is extended to all people!

A Righteous Quality

Something that I have struggled with for many years is why is it that I have so much while much of the world has so little. Think about it, if I were to go into storage (that being stuff I have that did not warrant coming with me on the mission field) and look through all the boxes, I would find an assortment of nicknacks and treasures that deserve to be buried for all eternity. But one thing in particular that you would find that really blows my mind is you would find a watch. I know that is shocking that I would have a watch but this particular watch is a special watch, it does not have a band on it. So, I'm sure you are asking what the point of this watch in terms to the point of this devotional? Well this watch was a gift of sorts from the president of the United States of America! Actually how it happened was President George W. Bush did a thing where he sent out stimulus checks to various people in a hope that the economy would be jump started. He sent me one and I was obliged to spend it as my ethical, moral, and civic duty! I went to the store and bought this watch. It was much more expensive than I would have ever paid but since Uncle Sam was paying for it, I didn't mind. This watch was for hikers and would tell them the temperature, the altitude, the barometric pressure, their rate of decent, the weather, what direction they were facing, oh yeah, it told you the time also. I was pretty sure it was the coolest thing ever! Thanks President Bush! The interesting thing was even though it was of very high quality, it still ended up in my storage box with no band on it. Well, as good as the quality was, it just never worked properly. The altimeter was off, the temperature was never right, the compass only worked if you calibrated it, I don't even know what a barometer is, the clock worked as long as the battery held up, which it did not, and the band broke! Therefore this wonderful, quality watch is now lost somewhere in the recesses of our storage never to be seen again. (I hope)
All that to say, why should I have a watch that can or can't do all those things when there are people in Africa who are starving? When the people that are now my new neighbors do not get three meals a day? Just because I live in America I have been able to surround myself with nice quality things, why? Since we now live in a house that resembles a barn more than a house I find myself thinking of nice homey touches like dry wall, molding (not mold, we have that) constant electricity, lamps, rugs, etc. No one around here has any of those things, so why is it in America we have wall to wall all of those things? The answer... I don't know?!?
Yesterday as I was praying God taught me a very important lesson about all of this. The word "Quality" is never found in Scripture. The idea may be implied but I disagree even with that. What is quality? Something nice? Not so much in terms of my watch. Something that holds up? Drywall would never hold up in our barn, I mean our house. Something that cost a lot? Well now you are probably more on the right track. The word "quality" is a man made word that basically means, you pay more for it so that you have the hope of the object doing its purpose better, longer, and more efficient than its competition. It may or may not do that. Quality is just not a Biblical term.
Like I was, you may be thinking, well what about the quality of worship you bring to God? Think about it, what does that mean? Can you raise your hands better than the next person? Do you use better words in your prayers than someone else? If you pray with quality words then shouldn't they last longer? Yet that would go against Scripture when it says we are to pray without ceasing. (I Thess. 5:17) See, the problem with linking 'quality' with 'worship' is that quality represents what you bring to the table. It's saying I brought something good to God.
Allow me to introduce a different word to the conversation, "righteousness." The Bible tells us in Rom. 3:10 that no one is righteous, not even one. The Bible also says that our righteousness is like filthy rags. (####) Righteousness means, to be made RIGHT, we can not do that, my RIGHT is like filthy rags. We need a Savior to make us right, that is why God sent His Son, to do the thing we couldn't do. We are made righteous through salvation. And we are saved by grace through faith, not of works lest anyone should boast. (####) Our worship has nothing to do with what we bring to the table but what God gives us to bring and our obedience to bring it. Therefore, it does not matter where you live, what you have, what covers your walls or how much money you have, worship is something anyone can do because it is what God has given you to give. God smiles at the heartfelt prayer of a woman in a mansion and the woman who prays in her hut. God dances to the singing of worship of the man in a corvette as He does to the man who walks down the path in tattered sandals. Worship is sweet because it comes from God and goes to God!
Do not be so blind to think that the things you surround yourself with enable you to worship God better than the next guy. Sound systems and lights in a sanctuary only allow you to hear and see better but God looks at the heart and no amp or spot light will illuminate that. Worship is the work of God in us and our obedience to give our life back to God. Quality of worship? I don't see it but righteous worship, that comes from God!

Jaw Droppers

What is the point? What is the purpose? I woke up this morning just like I did yesterday and the day before. I go about my day just like I did yesterday and the day before. I will lay my head down tonight just like I did last night and the night before. This is probably the same routine I will follow until the day that I die. Is there really purpose in this life? I can tell you that life in the U.S. works the same as it does in Guyana, S. America. Sure the task are different and the culture is different but the structure of life is still the same, get up, do what you do, go to bed, next day do the same. What is the point? What make this life all worth while? If we are Christians then our eternal security is set. Why is it that God does not just take us home to Heaven now? Why must we endure this life on fallen planet Earth?
Around two-thousand years ago there sat a group of men and women in a room, massaging their jaws. They were soar from their jaws hitting the floor so much. One day their jaw drops because the Messiah they had been waiting for was finally here! Then their jaw dropped because they saw their Messiah hanging dead on a cross. Then once again their jaw dropped as they peered into His grave which was empty because He had risen from the dead. Next thing they knew, their jaws were on the ground again as the Messiah stood right in front of them, alive and well and then rising up into the sky! Needless to say, their jaws were soar! They sat around looking at each other thinking, "Wow, what a ride!" When all of a sudden, once again their jaws hit the floor as they heard this noise like tornado force winds and they saw these flaming tongues floating through the air coming toward them and finally resting on them. I'm sure they were thinking, "Now what?" They were filled with the Holy Spirit of God, the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus, that One would come after Him. Forgetting how soar their jaws were, they all began speaking at the same time yet the words that came out of their mouths were in different languages and dialects, by the power of the Holy Spirit. You can only imagine how perplexing this was to the disciples as well as all those who were listening and understanding what was being said in their own native tongue.
Peter finally got up and began explaining things to those around. He did not mix words but told them plainly, "The Messiah you have been waiting for, the One who will reign forever and will set things right, you just nailed Him to the cross but you did not win victory over Him because He now lives and reigns with God!" In his sermon Peter quoted King David by saying, "You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence." (Acts 2:28) This quote is found in Psalms 16:11, "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
How wonderful is that? To know the paths of life! To know what this life is really all about! David goes on to say that joy and gladness is found in the presence of God! That is what true Life is, the presence of God! Totally undeserved, totally by His grace, yet the absolute most glorious and joyous moments of our Life is simply being in the presence of God! So while yes, each day we wake up, do what we do, and go to bed, we wake up into the radiant smile of the King of Kings who has been watching over us as we slept. We do what we do through out the day, the good and the bad, in the presence of Emmanuel, God with us. And we lay our head down at night, not on our pillow but on the chest of our Heavenly Father. If we listen we can hear His breath and the beating of His heart! God does not take His children home immediately after salvation to experience eternal life because eternal Life has already started here on this Earth! John 17:3 says, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ who You have sent." Eternal Life starts today, with the knowledge of who God is and where God is. Joy can be found on the path of Life which lies in the Holy presence of God. When we come to truly understand this truth, that is when our jaw really drops! Is that the Life you live?

Color Blind

The grass always looks greener on the other side to a color blind person.

Every year in the very beginning of Spring there comes a time when over night grass seems to go from brown and dry to green and lush. I love this time of year because for so long everything appears dead and dry and colorless but then all of a sudden the grass just comes alive! I find myself riding around in my car singing "The green grass grows all around, all around. The green grass grows all around." In fact once the grass turns to green, trees are not far behind and before you know it there is a lush green hue in the air. (Of course if you suffer from pollen then this is not your favorite time of year) It is beautiful!
I could not imagine what it would be like to be color blind. There you are surrounded by new life and yet you could not see the beauty of it. It seems like there would be something missing from life if you were color blind.
I'm not sure why but I find myself always seeing the grass, greener on the other side of the fence. This is something I have noticed in my life for some time now. Even as a child I would go to a store to get a toy. Standing in the isle of the store a dilemma would arise. I would have to make a choice between two toys that I really wanted. After much deliberation I would select my toy and go home, tickled pink with the thought of the fun that was ahead of me. Five minutes after I got home and started playing with the toy, I found myself thinking of the other toy back at the store and all of the fun I could be having if I hadn't settled for this piece of junk! The grass looked greener on the other side.
Then again when I would get a new job, I would pour my heart and soul into it. Every job I ever had I found purpose in it so it was important that I did my best. Plus the pay check was alway nice to put in my pocket. But after awhile I found that the job that once was so important to mankind was not just a stress ball of pointlessness, therefore I would look at other jobs and think how much better life would be if I could work there! The grass looked greener on the other side.
Even now as I sit in Guyana, South America as a missionary. There is no greater calling but if I were to be honest, I would say that if I was working in some other ministry job I could be so much more effective. Things here are frustrating because we came to work with a tribe that has no Bible because they have no alphabet. Yet we got here to find that they have a "church," with a "pastor," who can "read," English and "translate," the Scriptures into Carib. (I put quotes on those words because the church is just a building, the pastor is untrained, he only reads a little, and who knows if his translations are correct) Once again the grass looks greener on the other side.
So what is wrong with me? Do I have some fear of commitment? Do I have some mental block that inhibits me from sticking to something to completion? Am I broken or hopeless or a bad employee? On the contrary, I am color blind! Psalms 118:24 says, "This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." See today is a special day because today is a day that God created! We are to rejoice and be glad in it! Rejoice! Have a party! Enjoy the day! Could you imagine working at a job where the boss tells to you take the day and just enjoy it, have fun! I think that would be the best job ever. Yet that is what God has done for us. He has made everyday wonderful and beautiful! Sure circumstances will come and go that are hard, painful and life sucking but trials are meant to strengthen our faith. James 1:2-4 says that we can even count those trials as joy.
So the fact that the grass always looks greener on the other side is not that I have a commitment problem or that I am broken. It's just that I'm color blind to the green grass of Life that surrounds me right where I am. When I come to the realization that I am surrounded by Life, people who are unique created in the image of God and beautiful, places that are vibrant and in need of something God has given me, when I understand that I am here not for my own purpose but as part of that day which the LORD has made then I see Life! (John 14:6) My eyes are opened to the color of Life! True Life! Eternal Life! There is a whole world out there just waiting to be discovered and the greatest part about it is that all of it points to the glory of God Almighty! The world is our playground if we will choose to get out there and play in it, or we can miserably stand at the fence and look longingly at the seemingly green grass on the other side. The choice is yours.

God's Cup (Part 2)

While I was in Malaysia on a mission trip, I was introduced to a new love of my life! It's one of those cases where you either love it or you hate it but for me Green Tea was instant love! To be totally honest it tastes terrible. Green tea is so bitter it curls your nose hairs and dries out your tongue. If you have never had the privilege of drinking real green tea, not the Americanized version that is sold in bottles, served cold, with lemon flavoring and sugar added, but I'm talking about the real green tea. The tea that is brewed hot, from tea leaves which have been picked off the bush by some little, old oriental lady. Never having been touched my a machine but rather I guess you could say, "off the tree straight to me!" If you have never tasted this genuinely delicious green tea, then I want you to go outside and fill a cup with hot water and dirt, mix it up and take a swig, then you will have an idea of what real green tea taste like. Yum! I love it! I understand green tea is not for everyone but I'm sure we all have some drink that really trips our trigger. Maybe you are more in favor of the southern style, sweet tea that is more like syrup than a beverage. Or maybe you have a different flavor of drink that quenches your thirst but never the less there is something that pleases your palate. On the flip side of the coin, I'm sure there is a drink that just the thought gets your gag reflex in an uproar. To each their own.
When I read the Bible and it talks about the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, I begin to wonder, what will we eat and drink? I know that will probably be the last thing on my mind at the time but right now as I sit in the jungles of Guyana, having eaten Peanut Butter for 30 days straight, I begin to think of what better things are to come! I figure that in Heaven, everything will be divine, even the food and drink will be scrumptious! Who knows maybe we will be served 'real green tea!'
With this knowledge in mind, it raises a question from the book of John chapter 19. Jesus has been sentenced to death by crucifixion, He was led away to Golgotha and there nailed to a cross in the most horrific and inhumane way possible. John 19:28a says "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scriptures..." Jesus hung on the cross and had the full knowledge that everything had been done that needed to be done. He had obeyed God exactly and totally. I can only imagine as Jesus hung on the cross He had to think, I love these people more than they can know but now I have endured beatings, wiping, mocking, insults, humiliation, sorrow beyond understanding, and even having the Father turn His back on Me, now I want to go home! But for some reason the second part of John 19:28 says, "(Jesus) said, I am thirsty." What? Why? He was done, He had completed the task, He was free to go home, stop the pain, the hurt, the humiliation but instead He asked for a drink! They raised up to Him on a sponge, some sour wine, He drank of it and then said "It is finished!" Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Surely the sour wine was nothing compared to what waited for Him in Heaven. He settled for sour wine when He could have been drinking "Divine Wine!" Why?
Well the truth of the matter is, I don't know?! But what I do know is that Jesus prayed in the garden, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matt. 26:39) He had told Peter the night before, "The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11b) So Jesus had completed His task, He had provided salvation to a lost world and He has set an example of grace and Holiness. The only thing left to do was to drink the sour cup which the Father had given to Him. Yuck! How bitter and nasty that cup must have tasted to Jesus but how sweet it will be for Him to sit at the table at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb and to look around and see you and I sitting there basking in the glow of a radiant LORD!
The cup the Father gives us may not taste so wonderful today but there is coming a day when sour wine will become "Divine Wine." We can find hope in that!

God's Cup (Part 1)

As a child, I was always ecstatic when Christmas rolled around and Mom would go to the grocery store and come home with Eggnog! It was probably the one single most indicator that Christmas was coming soon. We would open the carton and pour us a glass and then gobble it down with delight! It was wonderful! My family would all stand around with Eggnog mustaches, grinning ear to ear, because we knew, more was to come over the Christmas Season.
There were other times when I would walk into the kitchen at home where my Dad would be standing holding a plate of food, a bag of chips and the cookie jar in his hands and a large cup of milk filled to the brim would be sitting on the counter top. My Dad,with a puzzled look on his face would ask me to come and take a sip of the milk so that he could pick it up without spilling it. This was often a common occurrence in our house because the Lawson males would often try to carry everything all at once so as not to miss part of the TV show. Not being able to fulfill our obligation, we would often end up spilling our drink on the floor. So I would bend down and take a large sip of Dad's milk, so as to help him out, only to find that the large cup of white liquid was not milk at all but rather butter milk! Once again drink would get spilled on the floor because I cannot stand butter milk!
Two drinks, very similar in makeup and in appearance, yet there is zero similarities in their taste! One is wonderfully delicious and the other is so grotesque that it is only good for being thrown out. But what is the lesson that is to be learned here?
John 18 recounts the story of Jesus going to the Garden with His disciples. Judas, having already been filled with Satan, led the Roman soldiers to the same place in the garden. At this point there is an awkward moment and no one seems to know what to do. Jesus asked them who they were seeking and they said Jesus. Then Jesus told them that He was Jesus. This led to dumbfounded looks and bewildered disciples. Peter is the one who breaks the silence as he pulled his sword and cut the ear off of Malchus, the slave of the high priest. After telling Peter to put away his sword, Jesus makes a huge statement, "The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" See Jesus knew that God had sent Him to Earth for a reason. It was as if God handed Jesus a cup and said, "Bottoms up." Jesus was saying, God gave me this cup to drink, by pulling out swords and fighting, I would be evading what God gave Me. It would be like saying, "Father God, thank You for this cup but I really don't want it." "The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" For Jesus, drinking the cup that the Father had given Him, had nothing to do with enjoyment, or entertainment or popularity, or self-desire, but it had everything to do with the fact that the Father had given it to Him. Jesus was going to drink this cup rather it had Eggnog or Buttermilk! Why? Because God gave it to Him, and pleasing the Father was first and for most in Jesus' list of priorities.
So what about you? God has extended to us a cup of not just water but 'living water. I'm sure any of us would say I will do anything to get a cup of that living water! Yet when it comes to drinking that cup, often we would rather not. That is because God's desires is not first priority in our life, our desires are first priority in our life. Sure we boast about drinking the cup of living water when it is sweet as Eggnog and everything is going wonderful! But we gag as the thought of drinking the bitterness of the buttermilk, such as when God is calling us to get out of our comfort zone.
Life is full of choices, yet for a Christian and child of the King of Kings, there is no choice, obedience is the only way! So to that I say, bottoms up! Drink deep! and Enjoy Life!

A New Normal

Well we have now been in Guyana for 2 weeks, we are most defiantly experiencing a new normal! God has shown Himself faithful in so many ways. I guess the best way to update you on everything is just to start at the beginning. I'll try to make this short~

Lindsey and I left Greensboro on July 24th early in the morning and arrived in Georgetown, Guyana late that evening. The first few days were spent just trying to get our legs underneath us. We stayed in the capital and did some price checking on things like mattress, washer, and generator. We were staying in the Guyana Bible College, which was pretty nice dispute it had no AC, but we had electricity, and a bed to sleep in. There was also a kitchen area where we could cook so that we didn't have to go out to eat all the time.

One of our new great friends is Brother Codogan. He is a pastor here in Guyana and teacher in the Bible College. He has also offered to drive us around so we can get everything we need and ship it out to the Jungle. Sadly the big ship that goes to Port Kaituma was not at port during our first week, therefore we were not able to buy and ship supplies we would need to paint the house and get things set up. But the show must go on.

My (Jason's) parents got here a few days after we did and they stayed with us in the Bible College. It was really good to see them even though it had only been two days since we last saw them. You have no idea how special family is until you live thousands of miles away from them.

On July 29th we flew on a little 15 passenger plane into Port Kaituma. We landed and reconnected with a missionary friend, Greg Mann who now lives in FL but is down for a visit. We also reconnected with our new neighbors Brother Paul, his son Marcus and his daughter Mezien. Brother Paul has 11 kids, so they did not all get to come to the air strip. For the next week we scrubbed floors, swatted mosquitos, buil counter tops, killed mosquitos, swam in the river, stomped on mosquitos, ate lots of rice and of course sprayed mosquitos!

One day we did travel out to Falls Top which is where we will be working with the Carib tribe. It was really good to see Brother Alan who will be teaching us the Carib language, LORD willing! My parents really enjoyed meeting several of the Carib people and seeing their much simpler way of life. They are wonderful people and I can't wait to be able to talk to them. I cannot even imagine being able to finally share the Gospel with them!

After a week of working in Port Kaituma we all were ready to fly back in the the Capital. I called the airline to confirm out flight only to find out that because of cows on the runway they closed down the airstrip until further notice. We ended up having to board a small boat at 2:30am and ride for two hours in the freezing cold night air (believe it or not is was really cold with the wind blowing through you) then we took a taxi to another village that had a working airstrip. We then took a flight back to the capital. Finally we came to rest at a hotel. It was a long day but a day of seeing the glory of God in the stars, the sun rise, from the sky, and now the ocean, God is so good!

Now we have come to the point of saying good bye to my parents! It was such a blessing to have them here. They started home at 2:15am this morning and should be home this evening. Lindsey and I are about to embark on one of the biggest, life changing adventures we will probably ever know. Praise God! Wherever He leads we will go! Please pray for us and we will be praying for you.

Ode to our Dads

Openning jars that are sealed too tight,

Keeping the boogeyman out of sight. 

Picking me up when I skin my knee,

Cheering me on as I climb the tree.

Helping with homework and ABC's,

Mowing the grass, you did with such ease.

You could fix my bike or roller skate,

You stayed up all night when I was late.

Home was safe and love was always there,

Each night in my bed you'd say a prayer.

Many a time, you taught me great things,

Like do your best whatever life brings.

Where would we be, if it weren't for you,

Thank you so much for all that you do.

There's one last thing we would like to say,

God bless our Dads on this Father's Day!

Life Change in Guyana

There are times in life where circumstances change the way we see things.  At that moment, priorities and perspectives change.  For Lindsey and I, our perspective of the future has focused on us going to Guyana to be missionaries for Wycliffe Bible Translators, working among the Carib people.  This has been pretty much the catalyst for everything we've done over the past 2 years.  That is one reason why being able to stand in Guyana, "talking" to the Carib people was so LIFE CHANGING.  Not because it was the fulfillment of the call of God but because it was there that God showed up.

A very simple principle of Christianity is, God and sin cannot be in the same place.  God is Holy and we are sinful.  Therefore we are separated.  It is through the death of Holy Jesus, that allows His Holy blood to wash our sinful souls clean, thereby giving us the ability to have a relationship with Him. 

I will confess that on our trip to Guyana, when God showed up, I learned that I had removed God from the throne of my life and it was I that was in the driver’s seat.  My whole life was about Me serving god.  It was about what I was going to do for god and how I was going to Guyana to be a Missionary.  god was a footnote in My story. 

But the incredible, amazing, awesome LORD that we served showed us in Guyana, and revealed to me just how small I am and just how God He is.  It was there in the Jungle that Lindsey and I discovered that, we cannot do this!  The task of reaching the Carib is way to big!  The house needs way to much work!  The language is way to hard!  The culture is way to different!  The temperature is way too hot!  We simply do not have the ability to do this.  We were cast down off our comfortable thrones as controllers of our lives.  Honestly we began to question God, "Are You sure this is what You are calling us to?"  "Maybe we heard wrong and You really wants us to go to a place with electricity and AC!"

It was at that point that God showed up.  God in all His goodness, peace, power, joy, grace, wisdom, truth, and love!  He revealed to us just how selfish we are.  It pains me to confess this to you but honestly there was a point where I felt God asking me the question, "If there was a way out, would you take it?"  I never could answer that question, because I knew my flesh was crying out go home but I knew that wasn't God's will.  It's a scary thing when you realize, "I'm not good enough to be God."

God is still working on us but over the past 2 weeks, God has been teaching us to "Be still and know that I am God." Ps. 46:10  I am not God!  I cannot control my future!  The mission field is NOT about me doing anything!  It is about God Almighty, working in hearts and changing lives.  Lindsey and I are simply vessels to be used by the Master.  We are to stop striving and know that He is God!  He does the work, He brings the harvest!  He is the Answer, not me!  When God shows up, we see just how sinful and inept we are.  This is a crazy, scary place but it is there that God teaches us how to die to self.  Once self is removed, His Holy Spirit can infiltrate our heart and lives. That is where Life More Abundant begins!

The Carib people need God, not a self-righteous sinner.  It is an honor for Lindsey and I to be vessels used by Him to bring about the Gospel to the Carib people!  His call for us to go to Guyana is stronger and clearer now than ever before but now we see that we are simple servants of a Mighty God not the other way around.  May God be lifted up and may He draw all people unto Himself!  May our lives never be the same! 

servants of the Most High King,

jason & lindsey

Rom. 11:36

Mother's Day

Thank you both for your love and support!
For the countless prayers you have prayed.
For hugs when things were not going our way.
For your priceless friendship.
For those nights you sat up and talked to us.
For your open ears and words of wisdom. 
For teaching us what family is really all about.
For making skinned knees feel better.
For cooking our favorite meals.
For raising us in church.
For loving dad.
For showing us what work is.
For setting an example for us in serving others.
For helping us with homework that we procrastinated on.
For wiping tears away.
For giving your blessing on our marriage.
For more than we can say!

We thank God for our mom's!

Trust In God

     To think that God simply has the power to speak a word and that word comes into being.  That blows my mind!  The power in a single word from the mouth of God can produce the majesty of the stars and the mysteries of the sea.  With that single word He can lower a mountain or prick the heart of a little child.  He sees all and knows all.  What a wonderful God!
     Just a couple months ago Lindsey and I seemed to be stuck on 30% of our financial goal and now God has blown our minds and raised us to 97%.  We are trusting God for the remaining 3% and though our faith goal has come and gone we are reminded that God's ways are not our ways. 
     This morning at 12:01am I was praying to God and asking Him why He brought us so far yet didn't complete the goal?  He reminded me of the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead.  Mary and Martha thought Jesus was late but truly He was right on time to bring God crazy glory!  Our faith goal has come and gone but God is right on time!  God will complete what He has started and He will make a way for us to share His Word with the Carib people.  Those powerful words of God, "I love you!"
     Thank you all so much for praying!  This has truly been a defining moment in mine and Lindsey's life and we pray it will inspire you to trust God.
     Much love to you all!

This is the Day that that LORD has Made!

What is there to say on a day like today?  Letters cannot assemble themselves into words that could adequately describe the greatness of God!  We are humbled at His shear greatness!  What is there to say other than to simply brag on the King of kings and Lord of lords.  I will start with a verse that is revolutionizing my Spiritual life:

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever. Amen”  Rom. 11:36 

This morning, there is a little Carib lady who is getting her wood burning stove fired up so she can cook her family something to eat today.  There is a stocky Carib man who has picked up his tools to go and work in the field, so he can provide for his family.  There is a young Carib child who will walk to school and will try to grasp an education despite not having a written language.  

Today they will go about their normal lives wondering what that gnawing and pulling at their heart is all about.  It pulls at them while they work.  It is with them while they sleep.  They do not know what it is but SOON, they will know that there is a God who loved them enough to send His Son to die on a cross so that they could have LIFE!  That pulling at their heart is the Holy Spirit of God prompting them to be saved and it is that same Holy Spirit of God that has prompted Lindsey and I to go to Guyana.  He has not only prompted but He is also providing! 

We are now at 95% PRAISE GOD!  I have no doubt that today is the day!  If God is working in the hearts of the Carib people, if God is working in the hearts of Lindsey and I, & if God is working in the hearts of people like you to pray for us and send us out, then I know God will provide!   

Please pray for the Carib people today!  Fall on your knees for those you’ve never met and may not meet until you are standing around the throne in Heaven and someone comes up to you and says, “You are part of the reason I am here!”

Please pray that today that remaining 5% will be received.  To God be the glory, great things He has done!  Lindsey and I thank you for your generosity and your love!  We are family, and where two or three are gathered in His name, He is here with us. Matt. 18:20

Faith Week

  I won't be so bold as to say that I understand faith.  In fact the Bible tells us that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed then we will see mountains move.  When I think about faith, I have to contemplate Peter walking on water.  It blows my mind that Peter would have even thought to say to Jesus, if that is You, call me to come out to You on the water.  Then when Jesus said come, Peter actually sits down on the edge of the boat and swings his legs out over the water so that is feet are getting wet.  Remember that there is a storm raging so Peter has to hold on to the boat for dear life.  I guess this is where many Christians live their life. (Including myself)  We cry out to God and ask Him to call us to Himself and when He says come on, we swing out feet out and get them wet.  Our knuckles turn white as we grip our 'boat,' (security blanket, comfort zone, family, career, etc)  Many Christians will point to their wet feet when asked how their faith is.  But I think God looks at our hands.  What are we holding on to?  For Peter there came a point where he had to let go of the boat so that he could walk out to Jesus.  That blows my mind!  Letting go, sink or swim.

  This Friday is our faith goal for reaching 100% of our financial needs for the mission field.  What that means is, Wycliffe asked us back in October to set a date when we hoped to have 100% raised.  Lindsey and I prayed about it and felt like Friday, May 6th was that day.  Now we are less than one week away and I find that God is teaching me a lesson.  On one hand I'm asking the question, what if Saturday comes and we are at 99%, on the other hand I truly believing God is capable of raising those funds!  Now I am in the middle hearing God say, 'Let go of the boat!'  Stop looking at your wet feet and look at Me!  So let this be my formal declaration:

I am letting go!

I am trusting God!

I don't understand everything but that is what makes it faith!

We love You LORD and it is in You that we trust!

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever. Amen."  Rom. 11:36

Follow us on Twitter

      You can now follow us on Twitter!  Prayer updates and general thoughts about Guyana can be seen here on our site. 

      FYI: While we are in Guyana we will not have a constant source of internet.  Our best option is an internet cafe down the river aways.  So we have been trying to find a way to keep everyone up to date with what is going on without jumping in the boat and riding 30 minutes to the cafe.  Please be praying for this, it might seem small but we really want to keep eveyone up to speed with what God is doing.  What we are hoping for is to connect the phone we get in Guyana to our twitter account.  This way we can send a text message and have it post our text right here on our blog site!  That may seem a little complicated but that's the best we can come up with.  If you have any great ideas we would love to hear from you, on twitter! (tweet tweet!)

It's Here!

Today is the day!  Day 2 Pray!  Thank you all for praying and lifting up the Carib people!  We are praying for you today also! 

  Keep an eye on the right side of our blog today, I will updating our twitter information throughout the day.  If you would like to follow us on Twitter our name is lawsonsabroad.

May God's will be done and may we all glorify God because of what He has done today!

We love yall!

One Day Left

     How exciting!  To think that tomorrow people all over the world will be praying for the Carib people, that live in Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America!  There are only 400ish people in this tribe and they are considered "Unreached" meaning most of them have never heard the name of Jesus.  But that is soon to change!   Can you imagine telling someone the Gospel for the first time?  To look in their eyes as God works in their heart!  Praise God! 

    Please don't miss this chance to unite with Christian brothers and sisters all over the globe and to cry out for the One True God to rain down His Spirit on Guyana!  It's not to late to enlist friends and family members to pray!  Feel free to email us at jasondlawson@gmail.com so we can put your name on the list of 500!

    Thank you so much for caring enough to hit your knees!

Ways to pray:

1. Open hearts of the Carib people.

2. Pray for the English teacher in the school, that we may be able to work together to learn the language.

3. For Lindsey and I as we learn this difficult language.

4. Pray for the 'Village Captain'--he is the head man of the village--that he will be open and excited about us being there.

5. Pray for Monthly Supporters to come along side us to help fund what God has called us to.

6. Pray for our families here in America as they will live day to day with children overseas.

7. That we will have protection from sickness, animals, plants, and people.

8. Pray against Spiritual warfare.

9. That we will be able to get visas quickly.

10. Pray that God's name will be lifted up and glorified!  That people all over the world will know that He is God because the Carib people of Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, received the Good News and then carried it to the four corners of the Earth!

Join the 500!

March 31, 2011 we are asking 500 people to join with us praying for the Carib people of Guyana. 

Pray for:

1. The Carib people to have open hearts to the Gospel.

2. Monthly supporter to come along side us.

3. Boldness for Lindsey and I.

4. The ability to learn the Carib language quickly.

5. More workers to be sent into the harvest.

If you would like to join the ranks of prayer warriors please email us at jasondlawson@gmail.com

"Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation."  Romans 10:1

Day2Pray

March 31, 2011

God is at work and today is the day of salvation!  We are looking for 500 people who will come alongside us and pray for Guyana on March 31st.  Tell other people who will pray also.   Please pray that God will open their hearts to the Gospel, that people will support us with ongoing monthly gifts, that we will be bold in the strength of the LORD, and that God will call others to be workers in the harvest!  The harvest is ripe, it's plentiful, and it's here today!  Don't miss what God is doing!

Today is a Day 2 Pray

To sign up just let us know by phone: 336-675-8058 or by email: jasondlawson@gmail.com 

How?

     Guyana is a long way away from North Carolina.  There are many miles between here and there, as well as many obstacles between now and then.  Those obstacles that are in our pathway are merely mirages which God will overpower.  Romans 10:15 starts out by saying, “And how shall they preach unless they are sent?”  We are in the process of being sent.  This process has three steps and they make up the ‘How’ of our mission.

     Step 1.  God has called us to go to Guyana, plain and simple.  When we started this whole journey, we felt like God was giving us a slogan, “If God calls us to it, He will get us to it!”  Lindsey and I are trying to follow God with the understanding that if God has called us then He will pave the way.  This requires faith not just on our part, but on the part of our families and our church also.

     Step 2. You, our church family, are sending us.  There is no way that we could do all that needs to be done apart from the love and support of you.  Some of you reading this blog live in North Carolina, and some of you do not even live in North America.  You are all our family and your encouragement is priceless to us. We need your prayers, your words of encouragement, and your financial support.  This is why at the top of this site you can sign up to become a prayer partner and a financial partner.  As members of Wycliffe, we have to raise our financial support.  Last week we told you our monthly budget is set at $2500 a month.  When that is broken down between two people, Social Security, taxes, insurance, retirement, and operational overhead, you find that amount of money to be just right.  Wycliffe requires that we have raised 100% of that amount before we can go overseas.  As of today as are at 23% of that and for every $25 a month given we go up another percent.  This will be met by friends and family like you, giving each month through this website or by check. 

     Step 3. The final step is, ‘How will we learn the language and translate the stories in time?’  Well, we will be meeting someone there in Guyana who speaks both English and Carib.  We have talked to a missionary who used to live there who is going to try to connect us to this tutor.  Lord willing, we will build a relationship with him and he can help us learn the language, and perhaps translate the stories.  Also we will be building friendships with other natives once we learn the language that will also be helping us.  The goal is for them to translate the stories with our help, instead of us translating the stories with their help. 

     All in all, this is a huge task and it will require many people, not just Lindsey and I.  We will need you, the natives, people we haven’t even met yet, and mostly, a God who can move mountains!  We ask you to go before God and ask Him, how you can help take the Gospel to the Carib’s of Guyana?  How can you send us?  Will that be through prayer?  Through notes of encouragement?  Through financial support?  We are all a part of this mission!  Thank you for giving of yourselves for the glory of God!

~Electronic gifts can be made through this site.  Just click on the tab at the top and follow the instructions.

~Checks can be mailed to: PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200.  Please do NOT write our name on the memo line of the check but include a slip of paper and on it write Jason & Lindsey Lawson, #235891 

When

     I will start this blog entry with a precursor.  Just because I say a date or time for us going overseas, that doesn't mean that we will leave at that exact day and time.  James 4:15 is clear, saying, "Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."  So, the timeline we lay out today is what we are thinking at the moment, but God is the one who is in control of our coming and going!

     How do you come up with a time and day to say, “Ok now we are picking up and leaving what we have always known as home, and we are moving to another part of the world, very far from our families and friends?”  Let me tell you, there is nothing easy about it.  The thing that keeps us on course is knowing that God is always with us and He has called us not to stay home but to go into all the world, baptizing and teaching!  Therefore, we are going!

     Basically, two things are between us and leaving for Guyana.  1. God’s timing: When He says, “Take off,” we will know it is time.  2. Money: Wycliffe requires us to have 100% of our monthly support pledged before we can leave.  The budget that Wycliffe figured for us is $2500 a month. (Check out the blog next week to find out ‘How’ this happens and where we stand in the process.)

     When we were starting this whole process, Wycliffe asked us to set a ‘Faith Goal’ for when we would have our funds raised.  We prayed about it and came up with May 6^th.   So we have faith that by May 6^th we will have donors in place to support us as missionaries.  We will then tie off any loose ends, step out of our current jobs, say very difficult goodbyes to family and friends, put our belongings into storage and then we will, sometime around June, head out on the adventure of a lifetime!  Lord willing that is.

     This past week at our training in TX, we learned we have another training coming up in March.  This will be our Language and Culture Acquisition, meaning we will be learning some tips on how to learn a language.  It will be a five day training (March 7-11) in Greensboro, NC.  After this, we will have finished all of our stateside training. 

     Again, Lord willing, we hope to have a great opportunity to go with a missionary to Guyana at the beginning of May for a ‘Vision Trip.’ This will be a short trip to go down, establish a relationship with the people we’ll be working with, see the house we will be living in, and learn some things that we will want to pack, and some things we will not want to pack.  (Please be praying that if God wants us to go on this vision trip that He will provide a way!)

     After all this is said and done, we will put our seats and tray tables in their upright positions, fasten our seat belts and soar above the clouds to a new opportunity to share the love and hope and joy of Jesus Christ to people who may have never even heard His name!  Praise God!

     Check back next week for the final post in this series.  We have enjoyed informing you, our missions family, about all that God is doing in our lives, today and tomorrow! Together we are the body of Christ!